Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Over the Moon! Our Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower.

Hello friends! Long time, I know. Believe me, I KNOW. I have been drowning in a sea of children, the type of sea that happens when you have 4 children in 5 years. It has been quite the experience and I plan to come back and blog about it....but today I am here to share with you pictures and thoughts about the most fun baby shower I have ever thrown! (So sad it's over!!)

It all started about 8 months ago when my dear friend Tammy divulged to me and our good friend, Lissi, that she was expecting her first baby. Excitement filled our (Lissi and Joy) souls: A. because Tammy was having a BABY (!!!) and B. because at 30 years old I don't have many opportunities to throw a good friend her BIG baby shower...you know, the one that comes with having your first baby? Yeah, it had been awhile for both Lissi and I. It was ON!

We started plotting. Yes, even before the gender was announced, Lissi and I were scouring Pinterest (world's best invention, why didn't I think of that!?) for ideas. Finally the day came, we were told it was a boy, and the real planning began. Believe me when I tell you that this shower was months in the making, and for that reason I am resurecting my blog from the depths of blogger so that I can post pictures and links to the goodness.

We decided on a 'hot air balloon' theme. After wracking our brains we came up with an idea for the invitation and I set out to make it in photoshop. I used these balloon elements for the balloon and some clouds I had in my digital scrapbooking archive. This is what I came up with. Once it came alive on screen, I KNEW I was going to have to have it press printed, and I am so glad we did!!! It was gorgeous in person, I wish you could reach out and touch it through your computer screen. Yummy!!!

Next came the decorations, and I must say they turned out pretty darn cute. I sewed some circle banners together in the colors we had chosen for the theme of the shower. I made some flat hot air balloons that I also sewed in banner form to hang from the middle of the chandelier.

We found the cutest hot air balloon centerpiece on pinterest from the Basic Grey blog that we recreated in our theme colors. It turned out absolutely adorable! (Side note, do not use your teeth as a third hand when trying to build hot air balloon centerpieces. You might end up chipping said teeth and look like a hillbilly. Fair warning.)

We were in the living room for a lot of the time so I made another circle banner and also a banner made from rain clouds.

Back in the dining room, I covered my family picture wall with coordinating scrapbook papers to the theme of the shower (geometric and hot air balloon.) It worked really well and added that little something extra!

Our menu consisted of Croissant Ham Sandwiches, Yogurt and Berry Parfaits, Egg Tartlets, Fruit, Cinnamon Danish, and Nutella Danish. Let me just say...YUM!!! Everything turned out amazing, which was lucky since I hadn't made some of them until that shower. We also had a yummy punch that Lissi brought that rounded it off so well.

Yeah, let's see that Nutella Danish up close again....It was AMAZING!!!

So, instead of the typical baby shower games, we decided to make onsies for Tammy in all different sizes so her little guy would be sporting duds made by all the women who already love him. We had all different fabrics and shapes to choose from, and just ironed on the shapes. It was a really fun activity and the onsies turned out super cute!

I just realized I forgot to get pictures of our parting gift!!! I can't believe it. I will have to search through my images again tomorrow to be sure.

I am bummed because I didn't get any pictures of Tammy, Lissi, and I together or I would post it. I have lots of candids of the shower but since this is a public blog I will refrain from posting them to respect the guest's privacy.

Thanks for looking! If you have any questions on how we did anything, let me know. :)

Catherine, I cut the circles out with my cricut and sewed them with my sewing machine. Just hold the pedal down as you see them to leave space in between them. Feed them through spaced out as you like.

Okay, so this should be on Design Sponge. This is truly amazing and I absolutely love it!!! WOW! Joy I only wish I was having a baby just so I could have you plan my own shower....BLOWN away here...(pun intended).

As always you are to fabulous!!! I love the colors you used, so light and soft. ?, where did you get your white frames on your wall. They are the perfect size for a project I am doing. I miss you, Licia